1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sensor for measuring cracks in a semiconductor device, such as a wafer and, more particularly, pertains to a wirebond crack sensor for low-k dies or wafers, and to a method of providing the wirebond crack sensor for low-k wafers or the like structures.
During the production of diverse types of electronic devices, and especially semiconductor chips and pads which are sliced from wafers, wherein, in conjunction with the manufacture of SUPs (structures under pads), which facilitate that essentially all wiring and active devices may be arranged so as to be fully located underneath wirebond pads, there are employed low-k BEOL (Back-End-Of-Line) dielectric materials in a wiring level integration, which are essentially substantially softer and weaker in their nature and physical makeup than are conventional oxide BEOL films. During the process of wirebonding for instance, as ball grid arrays (BGAs), which may comprise gold balls, are applied to the wirebond pad through a welding procedure, as widely employed in the semiconductor fabrication technology, there may be employed a force of approximately 10 to 14 grams. This can readily result in damage to the BEOL wiring and dielectric levels or layers during wirebonding located beneath the wirebond pad, resultingly creating a risk of impaired reliability in the performance of such electronic devices upon installation and subsequent utilization thereof.
For instance, low-k dies and wafer or pad materials are well known and widely employed in the present technology, having particular reference to the disclosure of Landers, et al., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0129938 A1, the latter of which is commonly assigned to the present assignee, and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety. In that instance, the low-k material of the wafer or pad may be subjected to damage by cracking, as detected by a serpentine crack sensor, and wherein the wirebond pad is supported, in essence, by a dense grid of BEOL wiring and vias, commonly referred to as CLVS in the technology. However, the use of such CLVS inhibits the efficient use of any chip area, which is to be located beneath the pad, thereby necessitating an increase in the chip size and, resultingly preventing an efficient use by active devices and/or diodes of the area beneath the wirebond pads in order to maximize utilization of available installation space.
In essence, any readily susceptible damage of a mechanical nature, which may be imparted to low-k dielectric materials conceivably results from production activities, such as for example, chip dicing, which frequently causes the damage in the form of cracks to be produced as a result of final wafer finishing steps or module build up, which requires moisture/oxidation barrier for the protection of a low-k dielectric semiconductor. This, of course, can readily result in chip failure in the field, and pursuant to the above-referenced U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0129938 A1, there is provided a dual pyramidal or multi-level moisture/oxidation barrier with the employment of an additional structure acting as a physical crack propagation stop.
As previously indicated, such BEOL dielectric materials, which are of a low-k nature, are softer and weaker than conventional oxide BEOL films; for instance, such as inorganic oxide dielectric materials, i.e., silicon dioxide, silica glass, or fluorinated silica glass, produced by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or spin on glass (SOG) processes.
Consequently, the removal of these CLVS's (BEOL dielectric films) in the use of wiring under pads is being considered today in the technology, and during this qualification of installation, the rate of pad tearout or damage sustained is extremely sensitive to minute changes in the structures (SUP), which are located underneath the pads. In view of the foregoing, it is impossible to predict the reaction of BEOL dielectric materials underneath the pad, while permitting for a maximum use of the area underneath the pad to be employed for the positioning and arrangement of active devices and diodes. Although the sorting out of damaged components can be implemented at the time of implementing module tests, there can also be employed a sensor which is read out while a chip is in operation in the field facilitating the sorting out, so as to avoid undue damage being sustained by other components.
Furthermore, as also set forth in Davis, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,650,010 B2, which is commonly assigned to the assignee of the present application, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety, this provides for a mesh-like reinforcing structure, which will inhibit the lamination cracking in a multi-layer semiconductor device using low-k dielectric materials and copper-based metallurgy. However, as in the above-referenced Landers, et al., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0129938 A1, this does not provide for the utilization of a sensor facilitating that a chip, which has been impacted during assembly or manufacturing process, and which may be subjected to the formation of a crack or similar damage to be sorted out and removed determinate of a manufacturing yield or product output loss, rather than having the damaged chip exposed to installation out in the field and resultingly creating a reliability risk. As indicated, this removal of a damaged chip can be implemented at a module test, i.e., during the manufacturing process, or the sensor can be read out while the chip is in operation in the field.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In order to provide various methods and apparatus which will enable damage or die crack detection, numerous patents are currently in evidence, however, none of which provide for a wirebond crack sensor for low-k dies or wafers, which function in a manner analogous to that disclosed by the present invention.
Blish, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,548,881 B1, disclosed a method and apparatus, which enables the sensing of bond pad crater failures and provides circuitry, which determines the electrical and mechanical integrity of a polysilicon meander, located beneath each bond pad in an integrated circuit device.
Shu, U.S. Pat. No. 6,503,820 B1, discloses a die pad crack absorption fabrication system for integrated circuit chips, which is adapted to minimize the spread of cracks between layers of an integrated circuit chip. This is implemented by means of elastic filler blocks between intermetallic oxide layers of an integrated circuit chip and which will absorb stress energy, thereby reducing the spread of the crack through the layers of the integrated chip.
Blish, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,395,568 B1, provides for a method and apparatus for bond pad crater jeopardy identification in integrated circuits, and also facilitates for determination of a microcrack formation in several layers under a transistor due to the sensing of a reduction in a current passing through the resistor.
Dishongh, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,366,209 B2, discloses the provision of a circuit which senses changes in the electrical characteristics of a guard ring and responsively generates a signal to impart information with regard to a detected failure of one or more electronic components, and thereby enables the early detection of a degradation in the reliability of the electronic devices, which incorporate the circuit.
Leedy, U.S. Pat. No. 6,682,981 B2, provides for the a disclosure of a method employed in the fabrication of integrated circuits from flexible membranes in a stress controlled mode, whereby the membranes are formed of very thin low stressed dielectric materials, such as silicon dioxide or silicon nitrate and semiconductor layers.
Other types of semiconductor devices and manufacturing methods, which may incorporate devices comprising low-k dielectric materials and wherein various kinds of damage, such as crack formation may be determined, are set forth at varying degrees and aspects in Gass, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,756,908 B2; Hsiung, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,759,860 B1; Towle, et al., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0099877 A1; Downey, et al, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0119168 A1; and European Patent Specification EP 0 895 073 B1, the latter of which, in particular, is primarily determined for measuring cracks in a workpiece, such as an electronic semiconductor component.